A noble attempt, but certain elements drag it down.
Other features that carry over from previous games are the training camp, in which you can design up to twelve custom plays (six on the offense, six on the defense) to use in the game. The two-minute drill is a fantastic way for you to practice your skills in the clutch. As always, the greatest games feature provides you with a chance to rewrite NFL histiory (I found the Jets-Colts Super Bowl to be the most enjoyable). Of course, you are also provided with several of the greatest teams in NFL history to play against, like the '85 Bears.
The problems that have plagued the portable portion of the legendary franchise are in abundance in this game, though mostly of an aesthetic nature. The calls made by Al Michaels and John Madden are repetitive to the point that you can predict with near-perfect accuracy what will be said and when it will be said (and that's with the commentary turned to its lowest setting). The players themselves look about as interesting as a twig with a uniform and a helmet on, and the faces are something akin to road kill. The classic teams don't fearure the players names, simply content with referring to them as "QB No. 8" or "DE No. 39" or something equally vague. Crowd noises are improved ever so slightly, but repetitive heckling tends to distract you from it (Is that guy saying, "Hey coach! Game Over! Game Over! Hey!"?)
Overall playability is better than most games. The touch-screen controls can be a little awkward to use, and on rare occasions are highly inacurrate. Some slight glitches can arise during gameplay, usually consisting of a temporary disappearance of the player.
If you find yourself in a similar position to this reviewer, and you've yet to get a copy of a console Madden game, it wouldn't be the crime of the century to pick this up, but as soon as you upgrade to the console experince, abandon ship immediately. Madden NFL 06 on the Nintendo DS makes very noble attempts to stand out from its portable predecessors, but the lack of decent graphics and medicocre sound quality drag it back into the Old Familiar Places. The opportunity to beat NFL records and carve yourself a place in the Hall of Fame will get old after the first few seasons unless you're a hardcore player of the franchise. It does little to really grab the attention of the casual fans, and it provides next to nothing for those of us who have been expecting more from the portables.